Move Over Royal Baby, Puffin Chick Born at National Aquarium!

Published July 24, 2013

Will and Kate who? At National Aquarium, we're congratulating puffin parents Victor and Vixen on the birth of their female puffin chick!

This baby is the fourth chick for Victor and Vixen, the parents of the Aquarium’s first successful puffin chick back in 2006. Puffins co-parent their young and take turns incubating the egg, protecting their nest and carrying back small fish to keep their chick happily fed.

The Aquarium's new addition hatched on July 4 after an incubation period of approximately 30 days. Our puffins nest in special enclosures created to mimic the deep burrows typically used by their species. In the wild, puffin couples have been observed reuniting at the same burrow site year after year.

Since her birth, the chick has been closely watched by our staff aviculturists. We're happy to report that the baby is steadily gaining weight and appears to be quite healthy!

The baby puffin will remain within its burrow for 40 or more days before it begins making short exploratory trips into the exhibit.

Stay tuned for more updates on the newest addition to the Aquarium family!